Three ways Ohio State basketball has already improved this year

A saying head coach Jake Diebler often preaches within the Ohio State program was put to the test in the waning minutes against Purdue Fort Wayne: “Be your best late.”

Bruce Thornton has especially brought that message to life, enhanced with a stronger supporting cast than last season.

His career-high 38 points propelled the Buckeyes past the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons 94-68 on Friday, improving to 2-0 on the new season.

After the Mastodons had stormed back near the end of the first half, Ohio State’s lead shrank from 17 to 11.

Thornton rattled off seven points in 37 seconds, giving the Buckeyes a 45-30 halftime cushion in a moment reminiscent of their historic home opener against IU Indy.

Here are three ways the Buckeyes have flashed improvements through two games:

Bruce Thornton continues to anchor the team

Not many better scorers than Bruce Thornton exist in college basketball, and none currently do in the Big Ten, with his conference-leading 64 points in two games.

He finished with 38 points on 14-for-17 shooting, along with five rebounds and five assists.

“I was in a flow state,” Thornton said. “I wasn’t forcing shots, and my teammates were finding me in the open reads.”

Head coach Jake Diebler also touched on the importance of what a veteran like Thornton brings in helping a first-time head coach.

“When you have a guy that reflects the work ethic, consistency and toughness that you want your program to be built upon, it really helps,” Diebler said.

Defense looked sharp against a traditional offense

After its home-opening win that averaged 15 seconds per possession, Ohio State faced a much more traditional offense against Purdue Fort Wayne.

The Mastodons, ranked 81st in adjusted tempo, are still fast, but not compared to IU Indy’s ranking of fifth nationally, according to KenPom.

“The first game was such a unique game,” Diebler said. “We didn’t quite get to put on display the growth we’ve made.”

The slower pace allowed Ohio State to take command more often, especially since defenders weren’t extended as much on the perimeter and could close gaps in the paint.

“It would be hard for them to really beat us from three, but if you let them get straight lined downhill, it would be really problematic,” Diebler said.

Purdue Fort Wayne was held to 23 percent from three and lacked enough paint success to threaten the Buckeyes.

Diebler said there are still areas for improvement, especially against the dynamic post scorers they’ll face in the Big Ten.

“We’ve got to do a better job staying down,” Diebler said. “We went for some of their shot fakes in the paint, and they got angles around us to finish.”

Three-point shooting improvements

Out of their 51 shot attempts, the Buckeyes took only five shots between the arc and the 3-point line against the Mastodons.

The philosophical shift toward a perimeter-oriented attack has paid off early this season, as Ohio State connected on 16 of 28 3-pointers.

“We certainly want to attempt more 3-point field goals this year than we did last year,” Diebler said.

Last season, the Buckeyes averaged 22.2 3-pointers per game, shooting 36.8 percent.

Through two games this season, those numbers have risen to 25 attempts at a 48 percent clip.

It shows that not only are they more aggressive from the perimeter, but they’re also creating better looks.

“Our guys are just bought in right now on not forcing tough shots because we have so much offensive firepower,” Diebler said.

John Mobley Jr. and Thornton were two key producers from beyond the arc, each hitting five 3-pointers, reminding everyone how potent Ohio State’s backcourt duo can be.

“Our ceiling is high,” Thornton said. “We’re able to make shots at all three levels, so it’s really hard to scout us both. You really can’t go under on us.”